Surrey's richest 50 2009: No's 50 to 41

17:09 05 April 2012

Surrey's richest 50 in Surrey Life magazine

Not surprisingly, it hasn't been the greatest year for Surrey's millionaires, with many of them losing a sizeable chunk of their fortunes - but, put it this way, we don't need to worry for their welfare just yet... Here, for the third time, we bri...

50 Lynda La Plante, 66 Media 25m (last year 25m)

WRITER Lynda La Plante is perhaps most famous for the award-winning series, Prime Suspect, starring Helen Mirren. She also has several small TV production companies, including La Plante Productions International, and has written a handful of novels. We put La Plante's business wealth at 18m, but past earnings and property, including a house in Kingston, should take her to 25m.

46= Mike Rutherford, 58 Music 30m (last year 30m)

Born in Guildford, and a former pupil at nearby Charterhouse School, Mike Rutherford formed rock group Genesis with some of his fellow pupils in 1967.

During their long career, the legendary band, which also includes Tony Banks and Phil Collins as long-serving members, has sold 150 million albums.

With past touring activity, future touring income and the Genesis back catalogue, plus other smaller company assets and accumulated earnings, we estimate that Rutherford has a 30m fortune.

46= Katie Price, 31 Modelling 30m (last year 30m)

She may be best known as a model, but Katie Price is also an astute businesswoman. The net assets of her Jordan Trading company tripled in 2007-08 from 444,000 to over 1.3m showing that the money is flowing in from her various sponsorship, fashion and literary activities.

However, estranged husband Peter Andre could now fight for a 6m slice of her fortune - equivalent to half the 12m they are thought to have made during their time together. The couple, who met in 2004 on I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, sold the rights to their wedding to ITV and OK! magazine for almost 2m and have also banked several million from their appearances, interviews and ITV series, When Jordan met Peter.

Meanwhile, their homes include a 2m mansion near Woldingham, a 1.75m Cyprus holiday home and a 4m base in Los Angeles. Given the current climate, this year we value Price at 30m.

As former chairman and owner of Crystal Palace, Ron Noades led Palace through its brightest period, which included promotion to the old First Division (1989), an FA Cup Final (1990) and a third-place finish in the First Division (1991).

In 1998, he sold the club for 22m and went on to invest 1.75m in buying Brentford, where he also had great success. He sold his majority shareholding in the club to supporters' group Bees United in January 2006.

These days, he owns a company called Altonwood, which has a string of golf courses across Surrey - including the prestigious Addington - with nearly 18m net assets in 2007-08. Coupled with the proceeds from the Palace sale, Purley-based Noades is easily worth 30m

46= Keith Abel, 45 Organic food 30m (last year 30m)

After failing his bar exams, ex-public schoolboy Keith Abel started a business in 1988 with 2,000 in Catford, south London, by selling potatoes door to door. Within a few years, the company was turning over 28m sales and had grown to employ around 300 people.

Today, he still runs the Wimbledon-based operation, which is continuing to grow, despite the recession.

In October 2007, he sold a stake to a private equity firm that valued the company at between 30m and 40m. We settle for 35m at the time. Abel was reckoned to have made 7m from the deal himself.

Former tennis champion David Lloyd built up sports and leisure group David Lloyd Leisure, which he floated on the stock market in February 1993. Two years later, the business was taken over in an agreed 210m deal. With their other ventures, including the Richmond-based David Lloyd Associates, we put the family at 32m.

44= Kenneth Green, 63, & family Cosmetics 32m (last year 40m)

Kenneth Green founded his fragrance and distribution company, Kenneth Green Associates, in 1990. Today, we value the Weybridge-based business at around 27m and, in all, the family must be worth 32m.

42= Ronnie Wood, 61Music 35m (last year 40m)

Guitarist Ronnie Wood has had a turbulent time after splitting from his second wife Jo with whom he had been together for over 30 years. Last July, he was seen out with a Kazakh-Russian girl named Ekaterina Ivanova and, as of October, Wood had moved out of the family home. It has been rumoured that he has filed for divorce and is seeking legal assistance in splitting his fortune.

Meanwhile, at least with the Rolling Stones taking it a little easier of late, he's had time to sort out his personal life. There is no word yet whether they will go on the road again, but it will be difficult to beat the 390m gross box office receipts achieved on their last Bigger Bang tour, which ended in August 2007.

In all, the Stones have generated 1.8 billion in receipts from touring since 1989. On the recording front, last year they signed a new long-term deal with Universal Records, which brought their post-Decca catalogue to the industry market-leader.

Wood, though, is also making a name for himself as an artist to match his guitar exploits. An American collector recently paid 1m for a single one of his pictures. With his property assets (including a 12m house in Richmond) and the money coming through from A Bigger Bang, we value him at 35m this year.

42= Malcolm Freake, 61, & family Insurance 35m (last year 45m)

Based in Esher, Malcolm Freake ran part of the Huon Corporation, which sold business solutions to insurers. In 2001, the company was taken over in a deal that netted Freake and his brother, Ray, over 40m. More recently, he has turned his attention to children's sporting charity the Bluearth Institute. Today, he is probably worth 35m.

Brothers Robert and Patrick Wilson own Nelsons, Britain's largest maker of homeopathic remedies, including the Bach Original Flower Remedies. Founded in 1860, the Wimbledon-based company is now worth 30m. Past dividends take the family to 36m.

Originally published in Surrey Life magazine June 2009

Not surprisingly, it hasn't been the greatest year for Surrey's millionaires, with many of them losing a sizeable chunk of their fortunes - but, put it this way, we don't need to worry for their welfare just yet... Here, for the third time, we bring you our annual guide to the wealthiest people in the county, compiled by the writer of the Sunday Times Rich List, PHILIP BERESFORD

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